Iran, US On Verge Of Prisoner Swap Under Qatar-Mediated Deal – Reuters

Although no announcement could be found on CFR’s website, a member of the Council, Iranian Jewish well-known writer Roya Hakakian wrote a post on X sharing information that she was invited to the meeting but turned down the invitation. Iran International wrote to the Council on Foreign Relations asking for clarification but has not received a response at the time of this publication.

The date of the meeting is not clear, but Raisi will attend the United Nation’s annual General Assembly taking place in New York City from September 18-26.

Hakakian replied to the invitation saying, “Thank you for this invitation, which, I'm afraid, I must decline. While I am an absolutist when it comes to the value of dialogue, I see the presence of Ebrahim Raisi at the Council on Foreign Relations as a political baptism for a man who has been implicated in countless crimes…”

Raisi, a hardline cleric, who is fully loyal to Iran’s authoritarian rule Ali Khamenei, was elected president in June 2021, in a vote that excluded all the main candidates by a decision of the Guardian Council, a constitutional body composed of Khamenei supporters which reviews candidate credentials. The review is an opaque process and reasons for rejecting a candidate are never transparent.

Before becoming a president by Khamenei’s anointment, Raisi spent almost four decades in the Islamic Republic’s notorious “Judiciary”, also controlled by Khamenei since the early 1990s. It was there in 1988 when he was appointed to a small and secret “death commission” that decided to execute thousands of political prisoners serving their sentences.

In an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes last September Raisi did not deny his involvement.

Young men and women belonging to opposition groups, some violent, were summarily tried without due process and up to 5,000 were killed in prisons.

“Dialogue is reserved for those with whom we have disagreements. For criminals like Raisi, the only venue for conversation must be a court of law,” Hakakian wrote to CFR.

But Hakakian and many other Iranian Americans are furious not just for Raisi’s culpability in one crime in 1988, but also for his role and responsibility as President during the Women, Life, Freedom protests that rocked Iran after Mahsa Amini’s death in hijab police custody last year.

As young people came into the streets to demand answers for her death, security forces armed with shotguns and military grade weapons began shooting them, a behavior that occurred repeatedly for months. The real death toll has not been announced but human rights groups have estimated that more than 500 civilians were killed, hundreds seriously injured and around 22,000 arrested. After hasty trials without due process, seven people were hanged and several face execution and the death penalty.

Raisi and his government have repeatedly said that the protests were riots instigated by the United States and have not held any law enforcement agent of official responsible. In December, he vowed “no mercy” in dealing with the protesters.

“As a proud naturalized American citizen, I cannot help but think that providing such a storied platform to such a man will be legitimizing him, and it is, therefore, an insult to the memory of the protestors who were, and are, fighting for democracy, and it is, therefore, profoundly unamerican,” Hakakian told the Council on Foreign Relations.

Raisi reiterated that the Islamic Republic of Iran is against any alterations to the region's borders, as Azerbaijan threatens Armenia's territory in the south.

He also expressed Iran's readiness as a neighboring power, claiming that Tehran can play a constructive role in preventing further conflicts and preserving the geopolitical stability of the region.

Raisi’s message, conveying this "resolute stance," was communicated through a tweet by Mohammad Jamshidi, the Political Deputy of the President's Office. The message highlighted cooperation with external entities, conducting joint military exercises, and engaging in suspicious travels outside the established 3+3 format are discouraged.

Jamshidi was probably referring to Armenia holding small military drills with the United States in NATO framework.

As tensions escalate between Armenia and Azerbaijan, reports originating from Iranian sources on social media indicate that Tehran has issued a stern warning to Baku, cautioning against potential military actions.

Numerous sources have suggested that Iran's diplomatic channels and high-level meetings have played a pivotal role in delivering a clear message to Azerbaijan, specifically discouraging any aggressive actions in the southern Syunik region of Armenia.

This warning follows recent reports hinting at Azerbaijan's military preparations in the Nagorno Karabakh region, which have raised concerns about potential military actions affecting both the enclave and Armenia. Iran has consistently opposed any Azerbaijani encroachments on Armenian territories.

Scotland Yard disclosed that Khalife had been taken into custody in the Chiswick area, located approximately four miles away from Wandsworth prison, where he had managed to escape on Wednesday morning.

Presently, Khalife remains in police custody, facing a range of charges including espionage on behalf of an undisclosed enemy state, suspected to be Iran, as well as the acquisition of information with the potential to aid acts of terrorism and a conspiracy to orchestrate a false bomb threat.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed his satisfaction with Khalife's arrest and offered commendations to both law enforcement officers and the public for their unwavering dedication in locating the fugitive. Speaking at the G20 summit in Delhi, the Prime Minister also revealed the initiation of an inquiry by the justice secretary into the circumstances surrounding Khalife's escape, emphasizing that this investigation would persist.

On Friday, the police officially confirmed that Khalife had been observed emerging from beneath a lorry at Wandsworth Roundabout shortly after his escape. In a bid to facilitate his capture, authorities had issued a reward of up to £20,000 for information leading to his arrest.

Daniel Abed Khalife embarked on his military career in 2019, stationed at MoD Stafford, also known as Beacon Barracks, prior to his disappearance on January 2. The incident was linked to an alleged bomb hoax. Subsequent court proceedings at Westminster Magistrates' Court unveiled allegations of Khalife planting mock explosive devices with the intent of inducing fear.

It described the Iranian regime's systematic use of sexual violence with the aim of "instilling fear, shame, and silence" in victims as reprehensible.

The US Department of State, in a post on its Persian-language page on the X social media network on Friday, wrote: "The use of sexual violence by the Iranian authorities further demonstrates the courage of Iranians against such reprehensible actions aimed at intimidating them."

This department emphasized Washington's commitment to continue supporting the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Iranian people and collaborating with allies and partners to hold human rights violators accountable.

Maroufian, a detained journalist in Evin Prison, announced in an audio file released on Thursday that she had been sexually assaulted during her detention. She also stated that she had gone on a hunger strike in protest to the suffering imposed on her and other women by the government.

This journalist, who had recently been released on bail, was rearrested August 30 in a violent manner.

She began a hunger strike in Evin Prison last week, demanding unconditional release and the restoration of her dignity, as well as punishment for the officials who had beaten her during her detention.

However, Mizan News Agency, affiliated with the Iranian judiciary, dismissed Maroufian’s disclosure as a "claim" and stated that she and her lawyer had not registered any complaint in this regard.

The Iranian government routinely denies reports about torture, harassment, or sexual assault on prisoners and has not addressed the disclosure or complaints of women and men in custody in this regard.

One analytical news account on social media, alleged that Iran has cautioned Azerbaijan against any potential aggression in the southern Syunik region of Armenia, through diplomatic contacts and various meetings.

After a long blockade of the Armenian-populated Nagorno Karabakh region inside Azerbaijan, reports in recent days indicated that Baku might be preparing for military action against the enclave and Armenia. Tehran has traditionally opposed any Azerbaijani encroachment on Armenian territory.

The source added, "Azerbaijan has taken actions, in coordination with Israel and Turkey, to formulate Plan B in case of military intervention by Tehran against Baku."

The Islamic Republic of Iran has previously cautioned against any alterations to the political geography of the Caucasus region and the adjustment of international borders. Iran declared that if either side seeks to change the geopolitical landscape of the Caucasus or international borders in the Karabakh region, Iran will set aside its neutrality and respond directly.

Recently, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan issued a warning regarding Azerbaijan's provocative military movements along the border and in the Karabakh region. Pashinyan expressed concerns over the possibility of heightened tensions, urging the international community to take preemptive measures to prevent what he referred to as a new explosion in the Caucasus.

It should be noted that Armenian authorities in Yerevan previously confirmed that the country would host a joint exercise with US forces next week to enhance cooperation in international peacekeeping missions.